the spectral class of a blue-white star


three new exo or extra-solar planets have been discovered


Supernovae from Blue Super giants
http://astrobites.com/2011/03/27/supernovae-from-blue-supergiants/
Supernovae (SNe) have been traditionally classified based upon their optical spectrum and the strength of certain spectral lines. At the first level of the hierarchical classification scheme, we have type I and type II SNe. Type I SNe do not show hydrogen in their spectrum, while type II SNe do. Type I SNe can then be further divided into type IA and type IB and type IC, although sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between IB and IC and so they are lumped together under “type Ib/c.” Type IA SNe do not show hydrogen or helium in their spectrum, but are dominated by strong silicon absorption lines. Type IB SNe show helium lines, while Type IC SNe show neither helium nor hydrogen. While type I SNe are further sub-classified based upon the presence or absence of certain spectral lines, type II SNe are further sub-classified based upon their time evolution of their luminosity (called a “lightcurve”). Type II-P SNe show a “plateau-like” light curve after peak while Type II-L show a more linear decline after peak.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110811105115.htm
Astronomers have discovered the darkest known exoplanet -- a distant, Jupiter-sized gas giant known as TrES-2b. Their measurements show that TrES-2b reflects less than one percent of the sunlight falling on it, making it blacker than coal or any planet or moon in our solar system. "TrES-2b is considerably less reflective than black acrylic paint, so it's truly an alien world," said astronomer and lead author David Kipping of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=49470
Hubble Survey Carries out a Dark Matter Census
Dark matter makes up the bulk of the Universe's mass, yet it can only be detected by measuring how its gravity tugs on visible matter and warps the fabric of space-time like a fairground mirror so that the light from distant objects is distorted.



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111133530.htm

Planet Population is Plentiful
Three scientists have officially discovered 700 new exo planets. Their atmospheres are being researched to find out living conditions if
they may exist. These palnets are classified by their gravitational pull with gravity microlensing and using the best kinds of telescopes.
It has been said that there are now billions of planets orbiting stars just like earth, and these planets have the same mass as earth.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111154045.htm

Astronomers Find Three Smallest Planets Outside Solar System
A team of astronomers at Caltech have discovered three small planets outside of our solar system. All of these planets are orbiting a star
and have a smaller mass than earth and seem to have a rocky solid surface. Thesenplanets are too close to the central star to be in its habitable zone.
There is a ring-shaped region around a star which could contain a temperature to support life and have water, but so far these three small planets have been found and could possibly be red dwarfs.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111113727.htm

Rare Ultra-Blue Stars Found in Neighboring Galaxy's Hub
Deep inside the Andromeda, the Hubble Space telescope has discovered a very rare population of large, hot, bright stars.
Blue stars are usually an indication of young hot stars, but these stars are aging. The stars have set off their outer layer of materials prematurely
Later, the telescope discovers that these stras are scattered through out the center of this galaxy, they have found 8,000 stars that are in the center of the galaxy.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104111900.htm

Smoky Pink Core of Omega Nebula
A new image of the omega nebula has been taken by ESO's telescope, its one of the sharpest images ever taken. It shows
the dusty rose colored central part of the stellar nursery with fantastic detail of the landscape of gas clouds and newborn stars. The
new stars in the nebula are bright shining blue stars. The cloud-like expanse glows bright from the newborn stars, showing the pink and red dust.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228084228.htm

2012: Fear No Supernova
The doomsday theory about the sun and its supernova is not accurate, the sun doesn't have enough energy to put us in any harm.
Earth would be damaged without its o-zone layer protecting us from the harmful rays of the sun. Our o-zone layer is strong so we will be protected,
but the weaker our o-zone is; greater chance we have from being harmed by the suns harmful rays. The theory has been denied and we will be safe
from the sun, even though it may not explode this year.

Greeley Haven is Winter Workplace for Mars Rover
NASA's rover will spend the next several months working in a place known as Greeley Haven. This place is like a winter destination for
the rover. They will keep researching at the haven and find their information there